Tag Archives: walking

Friday, June 12 — Moving Day

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We lazily sat around for a bit after waking — and I woke much later than Dan: sleep wasn’t great last night and my watch said my sleep score was “ok” but that waking up several times “hurt my score”. Well yes, in fact, hacking away tends to wake a person up! (Yep, the cough decided to reappear. Thanks for nothing, Mr. Cough!)

When we did go out to find breakfast we simply walked across the street and headed to the corner and ate at a place called Wreck. I had the smashed avocado with poached egg on toast and Dan had the full Wreck breakfast. His was one gigantic breakfast! Needless to say, it will be a two meal day and I’m hoping the second meal (dinner) will be light.

We went to the hotel and, once again, I did a short video of the art across from the elevator. I had hope to see the swimmer and there she was!

Going back to our room we finished all the packing and had about 30 minutes to spare so we just sat around and did the things we do on our iPads.

Shortly before we left our room I remembered that my hotel key wasn’t out. I first opened my daypack, but then remembered it was in my purse that I had in the suitcase. At that point it was nearly noon, which was our checkout time, so I told Dan I’d pull it out at the desk. At the desk the woman said not to bother — they didn’t need that key. So never mind.

Then we walked to the train station. Now we know we could easily have walked from the train station to our hotel and avoided grumpy taxi driver! While we were seated Dan put his cap on me … I’m not sure I look quite as dapper as Dapper Dan!

We didn’t have to wait too long for our train, but we were definitely earlier than necessary. For PattyTime that is just fine! We stood in front of our coach’s door, but they kept them closed as they were cleaning.

While waiting for the doors to open so we could board a group of young school children walked by with very small suitcases. Hmm. Where might they be headed, and in which coach?

The doors opened and we boarded. And yes, those school kids were in our coach. I told Dan I just bet they were going to our location — I had seen one with a Harry Potter shirt.

At some point I realized the lock on my daypack was missing. I guess it fell on to the hotel bed when I was opening the bag to look for the key card and I didn’t notice. Fortunately I had an extra lock so that one went on. Overly cautious, maybe? But not really, when I read about luggage getting stolen and, besides, I’m married to Mr. Extra Cautious!

The train ride wasn’t spectacular: I found our seats a bit uncomfortable. The kids were noisy, but that’s what kids are like and that didn’t bother me. It was only a bit over two hours in any case. I did take a few from-the-train photos. Not thrilling, but hey, it kept me occupied.

And then we arrived. Hello York! We walked through the station, and then got into a taxi. He drove by Clifford’s Tower, which I remembered more from a TV show than from our last visit. (I was ill on that first visit, so we didn’t do as much as we’d have liked.)

We are staying in a B&B without purchasing the second B. I simply can’t see spending £17.50 each for breakfast. We don’t need that much food! I wish these places had the option to choose a smaller meal, as I’d happily pay for coffee and yogurt. But we’ll just find our breakfast on our own.

Our room is fine. It’s an older place, and there’s a bit of funkiness to it, but it’ll do! We met Durga, who runs this place with his wife, and he’s quite nice (and talkative).

When we were settled we headed out to the closest gate to go inside the walled part of the city, and we just ambled up the street. We are staying a bit further from the more charming part of the city center, but it’s merely a walk away.

We went down a small lane (I got a kick out of the name “WHIP-MA-WHOP-MA-GATE” … you can read about it in the photo below.)

More walking and we stopped so Dan could get water and we both had little snacks. The ginger cookies I had were so hard I had to be careful. I suppose they are intended to be dipped in tea or coffee …?

We walked more, and were also investigating dinner options. Eventually we settled on Guy Fawkes Inn, where we sat in the very back in an outdoor area. It was quite pleasant. And hey … just so you know … the color “olive green” fit our olives perfectly. (Yes, I’m sure you already know why olive green got its name, but yours truly is a bit slow ….!) I had duck and Dan had a steak pie which he said was delicious but very filling!

From there we walked back. Slowly, due to our full stomachs!

It wasn’t terribly late, but we were ready to put our feet up and relax!

Tomorrow we have a full day to explore, and we’ve yet to set our plans completely. The B&B owner did suggest we make dinner reservations because of the crowds, but we’ll see if manage that or if we just try and find a table for two somewhere. I’d prefer finding something that serves very light fare after tonight’s meal.

Goodnight for now!

9,304 steps, 3.60 miles, 2 flights climbed (What can I say? It was a train day!)

Thursday, June 11

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Sleep was much better … whew! I’m still coughing a bit (and seem to have pulled something from that wonderful hacking), but at least I slept lots more. I’m grateful!

I woke up before Dan, so I did things I do each morning (I haven’t mentioned that I do check Quicken every day just to see how horribly high our credit card bill will be. Thankfully I did plan for that, but it still makes me gasp a bit. The UK isn’t at all like Spain or Portugal — it’s quite a bit more costly.). Once Dan woke I could make myself a cup of coffee.

This is our last full day here and then we move on. As the trip winds down I think our energy is winding down as well. This seems to happen on any trip, no matter the length, although usually it’s about three or four days before our flight home. Maybe my cold isn’t helping, but honestly I think it’s more of a psychological thing.

A little side note about our room: this is the first place we’ve been where the thermostat seems to actually work. Up until now we’ve always had to open windows at night because, despite the cold and rain, our rooms were too warm for sleep. It’s a very new hotel (which is also probably why it was much more affordable). This is news you can use. Well … if you ever come to Liverpool, that is. We are staying at The Resident Liverpool.

Since we were in no hurry to go out in the pouring rain I took a laundry shower. We then prepared to head out.

Except.

I had forgotten to turn the switch on to charge my phone. Oops. Each outlet has a switch so the outlet is only on if you flip the switch. Before we headed out yesterday I switched them all off, attempting to be a good citizen and all. Heh. Kind of backfired on me. So never mind getting out quite yet. (But really, the rain … it’s not all that encouraging for an excursion in any case.)

Okay … a 70% charge will do, so off we went. At around 11:30 we went to the main drag where restaurants can be found since brunch seemed like a good idea (hooray … a two meal day!). We went into a spot that looked nice and we both ordered our coffees and the “croissant royale” plate (like eggs royale but using a croissant and I believe there was added smashed avocado. It was yummy. No, I couldn’t finish. Yes, I forgot to take a photo, but at least I took one of the restaurant.

Then it was time to go to see St. Luke’s Church. In 1941, due to incendiary bombs, it was pretty much destroyed, but the stone walls remained. They’ve fixed some things up (for safety) and it is now, believe it or not, used for music festivals and weddings sometimes. Certainly not today, though: the rain was coming down. It is moving to see things like this since we in America are usually so removed from the effects of war.

The last photo might remind some of the opera “Silent Night”, when the killing was halted and the men played a game on, I believe, Christmas Eve. I still scratch my head over all that was going on and then a game, only to be followed by more killing.

Then we walked to the Liverpool Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1904 and finished in 1978. Obviously a much newer structure. It’s huge — the largest cathedral in Britain. We wandered for a good amount of time, and there were moments when a volunteer came up to chat. And chat. They seem to be drawn to Dan! I believe the last person to talk to us was actually an Anglican priest (are they called priests?). Everyone there clearly is quite friendly. And yes, one of the photos below shows the floor having been lifted — similar to our pit going up and down), so they could pull some folding tables out. Prior to them doing that I had no idea that that section of the floor would rise.

At that point we thought we’d head back to the hotel: Dan could transfer some photos from camera to iPad, and I could do some of this blog. The weather just seemed to encourage us to take it easy — but of course photos were taken on the way.

Reaching our hotel we went to our room. My eyes were tired so I figured maybe a rest was in order. It helped that Dan encouraged me. As he said, I had been dealing with this bug. So yes, I took a little nap.

The rain had stopped, so we thought to head out on a bit of a walk before the hotel drinks hour and dinner, so off we went. First we went toward the train station to see if the walk was doable. (Better to walk that have a grumpy taxi driver, after all!) The train station was, in fact, quite easy to reach (.4 miles with no stairs) and I realized we actually should have walked to our hotel when we arrived. I think I was mixing this place up with somewhere else when I thought we needed a taxi. After getting to the station we walked through a park that was full of memorials from various wars.

So much killing. Sigh. When will we ever learn …?

Back to our hotel we went, to enjoy our little happy hour bit. Again prosecco for me and white wine for Dan, and crisps for both of us. Hard to turn down the free stuff, after all!

We had decided to eat at St. Peter’s Tavern. It was formerly a church (St. Peter’s … duh!) but had been a variety of things since that closed down. Now it’s most recently a tavern and I must admit it’s rather odd to see a church turned into a tavern. As we sat there having our chicken pot pies (nice and small … perfect for me!) and beers we also could watch the tv. On it were commentators who were talking about FIFA. Not that the sound was on, but you could tell they were in New York and it was obvious that’s what they were talking about. It was funny to think that we were sitting in a place in Liverpool, watching men in New York talking about the games, and then the opening ceremonies in Mexico began. Our world is so small in some ways.

We went back to the hotel, but before getting into the elevator I took a video of something that is continually playing right across from the elevator doors. I hope to get another with someone swimming tomorrow if possible. It must be a very long video (an art project, I’m sure).

Back in our room I made myself some lemon ginger tea. I think it’s helpful for my cough. I also pulled out the remainder of my cookie stash that I’d taken from other hotels we’ve stayed in and I shared with Dan. Because I’m such a giver that way. He very graciously accepted some. He’s such a taker that way. HAH!

We don’t have to pack tonight, as we have a later checkout time tomorrow: I had become a member of this hotel chain and that allows for 1 more hour here. I highly recommend readers to always check to see if the free membership gives you that perk.

I’ve enjoyed Liverpool, but I’m not sure I’d feel a need to return. I suspect if I were a true Beatles fan I’d have visited all the places the die-hard fans visit, but while I enjoy the Beatles they aren’t the end-all for me, and we didn’t even attempt to visit the first place they played or do the Beatles tour. Just not our cuppa, I guess.

So far, in fact, Dan and I both agreed that the Scottish highlands would call to us more than any other place. We’ve loved visiting all the villages and cities, but the highlands are awfully special. The other highlight of the trip was being with Greg and Jan. I would happily do another walk with them if they were ever up for it!

Now I’d better post this entry before I ramble on and on.

And on.

G’night!

11,200 steps, 4.37 miles, 2 flights climbed

Tuesday, June 9 — Moving Day

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Last night (or more likely early this morning) I had a dream. It was about shoes and my bunions. Mind you, I do not have bunions! But I did in my dream. They were round, and a pretty variety of purple and pink colors, in a marbleized sort of pattern. I knew you’d want to know that.

I also woke up at something like 4 or 5 to the lovely sound of many bottles being put into the recycle truck. Turns out we are on a busy street even while it doesn’t look like the sort of street that would be busy. It’s a bus line. It must be a commuter street as well. Room 5 might be the favorite room of the man who gave us the key, but I’m guessing he’s not slept here! Oh, and it turns out that when you shower the bathroom reeks. Sadly their fan doesn’t work. I find it all not aggravating but just sort of hysterical. Would I stay here again? Moot point since I’m sure we won’t be back in Shrewsbury.

BUT to more important things! I neglected one important bit yesterday so —

Happy Belated Birthday, Ruth Ann! I do hope you will find moments of joy this year. You sure have taught me a great deal and shown tremendous strength.

So sorry I forgot to post that yesterday.

And now —

Happy Birthday, Brandon! I’m so glad you were born! May your year be extra special. We do hope to visit sometime in the near future if we can make it work.

(And yes, I just figured out I can do colored text. How exciting is that??)

Don’t worry, I won’t continue with colors. Promise!

Oops!

We had a bit of time before our train so we hung out in the room, then got dressed, and walked toward the station.

We figured we’d get some sort of breakfast near or at the train station. I was sort of hoping I could be strong and just have coffee no matter what Dan did. And gee, I succeeded! It was just a cappuccino for me. Finally.

One we figured out which platform to get to we were set. We were on a TFW train and easily found our seats. As it turned out this first segment of today’s trip was the most beautiful yet. Mind you, the photos are through a train window as we moved along, but I hope it captures the beauty a bit.

And then the first of two legs was done and we said hello to Chester. We had a good number of hours to enjoy the town. We first dropped off our luggage, then had a bit of lunch, followed by walking much of the Roman wall, visited the Chester Cathedral, continued on the wall for a short while, and wandered a bit. Here are gobs of photos. (In the fourth photo below Dan is doing a pose for me … we see so many doing that and it cracks us up. The ninth photo is a dropped napkin by you-know-who!)

We retrieved our luggage and had alcohol free beers.

Then we went to the station to get the second train of the day. I wasn’t sitting by the window so I took only two photos.

We caught a cab with a very unfriendly driver. I don’t know if it was that we were Americans or he didn’t like where he had to drive, but yikes, he was grumpy! He didn’t help with the luggage, and when we arrived at the hotel he didn’t even get out of the car.

But no matter about him! We arrived at our hotel … and hello Liverpool!

We have a large room. It’s quite comfortable. And there was chocolate bar and card congratulating me on my retirement!

There was a 6 to 7 o’clock reception downstairs so we enjoyed that.

Then it was time to search for dinner.

We wound up choosing Bakchich, a Lebanese restaurant, and I had the shawarma platter — it was quite yummy!

Back at the hotel I had a bit of work to do … yes, really. It was for Symphony San Jose and I’ll leave it at that. Well, except to say I heard some fine playing from my former orchestra.

And then it was sleepy time … I hope. One never knows what the throat will feel like once I hit the hay.

Goodnight!

12,913 steps, 5.12 miles, 6 flights climbed

Monday, June 8

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After a somewhat restless sleep due to my sore throat, I very lazily got moving. Dan was reading, so I dozed on and off and we didn’t actually leave the room until after 9:00. By that time my throat felt so much better — it seems it bothers me only at night.

We walked a short bit to find some coffee and health food. Oh. Oops! I mean unhealthy food.

From there we continued to walk, just investigating the area.

When we looked across the street at one point we saw the California sign and had to check that out. It’s a wine shop and no, we didn’t bother to go in. We figure we can easily find California wines in California.

We continued to walk, crossing the England Bridge, with the Abbey in the distance.

Then we went into the Shrewsbury Abbey. I just love it when there is an organist practicing. (I haven’t taken photos of the children’s area in other cathedrals, but I finally did this one: they seem to be in each one, though.)

Leaving the Abbey I saw the other side of the sign that I posted prior to our Abbey visit.

Back across the England Bridge, I wisely suggested we walk along the Severn River rather than on busy streets. After all, our 12:00 scheduled Sabrina Boat Tour was on the Severn. So downstairs we went to continue our walk. Sadly I took no photos.

But then Dan said something implying he hoped we were actually going the right way. Um. Well. Maybe not! Had we continued we most certainly would have missed the boat. So we turned around and went up some stairs, and past the prison where they clearly would love us to live. We really felt very welcomed. But again, we’d miss the boat. So never mind. So on we marched.

And there we were … at the boat tour. And we were even early! I had reserved tickets, so when we went on we were seating up toward the front. I think, in fact, we may have made the first reservations since we were at the first table. It was a fun ride!

After our boat ride we walked along the park area, crossed the rocking bridge and turned back again. We saw Hercules who, at some point, had a bit of him pulled off (you can guess what) and has since been replaced by a fig leaf. Hah! We passed a spot where the Zippo Circus was setting up (no pix — I’m not much of a circus fan), and went in to “The Dingle” (a garden area). Not much there yet, as they were putting in the summer plants today.

From there we walked up to the Georgian circular church, St. Chad’s.

When we went back out we saw that it rained again. Go figure!

For lunch (we can hardly call it not lunch.) we had tomato basil soup, and I bravely tried the non-alcoholic red wine. It was better than others I’ve had, but still didn’t have the taste I’d like. But I guess one has to have alcohol to get that taste, eh?

Then more walking and more fascination with the crazy off-kilter buildings. We had walked by the Kings Head yesterday, but took another look today.

I find it interesting to run across signs of Covid in every place we’ve visited. Memories ….

We had seen Rowley’s House and Mansion yesterday, but today got a closer look. I would love to see the buildings all fixed up.

We’d talked about doing the afternoon tea thing so we finally got to it today. (And yes, we are eating too much.) I had tea and a fruit scone and Dan had espresso and a raspberry scone. The place suggested they had the world’s best scones (in their opinion, they did admit) but I’d say Dan’s are better. I also suspect a better place wouldn’t serve the clotted cream in a plastic container like that, nor would the butter be in foil wrappers. In a short while we’ll be in another village where we had wonderful scones in the past so we’ll compare then. At this point I was overly stuffed (and I couldn’t finish my scone.)

From there it was back to Cromwell’s Tap House to have a short break. Or maybe a longer than short break. (I believe our two windows are the ones you see on the far left in the photo below.)

Now because we hadn’t had nearly enough to eat today (hah!), we went out to find dinner. Dan had read about a place called The Coach & Horses so we went that direction. I had seen it on Google and it said that it was busy, but we figured we’d give it a go in any case. When we went outside it was quite bright with a blue sky. A miracle!

Entering The Coach & Horses we saw a few people in the pub area, and the man at the bar asked if we wanted to see the menu. He asked where we were from and after we told him Dan asked where he was from and he said Nevada! Turned out he was a military kiddo and, fortunately for him, was born in the UK so he had dual citizenship and was now living in Shrewsbury with his wife (she will have to take a test in something like four years to try and gain citizenship). Am I jealous? You bet!

We said we’d like to dine there so he told us where the restaurant area was. Well, Google may have thought they were busy, but we had the entire place to ourselves! I’m guessing Monday evening isn’t quite a busy time there. I ordered salmon cakes and Dan had cottage pit PIE (yeah, I typed pit first and I think it’s too funny to remove!). Prices were quite good and food was yummy. I really loved the greens with my meal. Then we ended with the extremely healthy sticky toffee pudding. It came with ice cream so we appreciated all that calcium. Or something. You can see the very nice man from Nevada that we spoke to in the final photo.

Anyway, if you are ever in Shrewsbury, go there. It was great!

Then we ambled back to our room, taking a few photos as we walked. At one point I saw some sort of plaque on a building and it said “Shropshire” and below that “North Wales”. As I read online, it was the “Welsh Kingdom of Powys in the 5th and 6th centuries” so I guess it was in Wales and perhaps some wish that were still the case. Dunno!

Back in our room I, as always, set out tomorrow’s clothes after I put my pjs on. Then it was time to finish up this blog.

Tomorrow is moving day. I’ve enjoyed Shrewsbury, but on we go!

13,493 steps, 5.4 miles, 4 flights climbed

Friday, June 5

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When we woke both Dan and I mentioned we might be coming down with a cold. Nothing horrible (so far), but I could feel an itch in my throat. We’ll see what we end up with. Since Greg has had something we weren’t at all surprised.

Once again we enjoyed a nice breakfast at our B&B. (When we get back home I am going to have to retrain myself and skip breakfasts, aside from my cappucinno!)

It began to rain, so we sat in our room for a time, waiting for it to die down. It also meant I could charge everything all the way.

Side note:

I’d been waiting for my iPhone to go down below 80% battery capacity. I had hoped it would get there before the trip because I can get the battery replaced for free since I have AppleCare (okay, okay, I pay for that so it’s really not free). Alas, it went to 79% during the trip. I can’t do anything here, as the replacement has to be in the states. Because of this my battery runs out quicker than I’d like, so I have to use my little battery pack to charge it. I mean, this is like a major world disaster. Or maybe not. Funny how we lived without these devices for the majority of our lives (those of us of a certain age, that is). When I came to the UK with a youth orchestra in 1974 I didn’t communicate with anyone other than those I was traveling with. My parents? Well, they got a postcard or two I think (maybe). And if I did send them I’m not even sure those arrived before I got back home!

Side note over ‘n out.

When the rain lightened up we left our B&B, although I did get distracted by the flowers right down the stairs.

Down the hill we went, and into the center of Bath (or at least I think it’s the center), where just a few stands were set up so I took a photo of the fruit and veg one. Then we headed toward the Cathedral.

Before entering the Cathedral we saw the free Bath tours that are given Sunday to Friday at 10:30 and 2:00 (Saturdays are only 10:30.) Unfortunately we had other things that conflicted today, but we are hoping to get back there tomorrow as we’ve been told the tour is quite good. Interestingly, the tour guides are not allowed to accept tips. That’s pretty rare!

Then into the Abbey Cathedral we went. I think I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

The organist was practicing while we were there.

And I also did a walk-around video.

We left there and went to find a not-lunch bite, passing by a bookstore and park on our way. Coffee and croissants were enjoyed. (Not needed, mind you, but still ….)

We were meeting Jan and Greg at the Roman Baths, so we headed that way. I have to say that I was skeptical about the place, but it really is rather astounding to hear about it and see what they did so very long ago. Again, I’ll just post photos and not go into the whole thing, primarily because I’m not only lazy but also forgetful so my facts would be off, I’m sure.

Oh … and one video:

My understanding was that somewhere during their baths I he Romans would enjoy a glass of wine. In order to be at least a little close to that we headed to the smallest pub in Bath for a pint. It was only right to do so.

Greg and Jan then took their leave for a time, and Dan and I walked a bit, mostly looking for a dinner spot for the four of us. Dan and I did laugh a bit at the lingerie store called “Bravissimo”. (Get it?)

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant and I didn’t take even one shot but you can see it on the far right in the photo right above this. I mean … it was pasta. Pasta is pasta. Use your imaginations if you wish.

After that we had to say our goodbyes. Jan and Greg leave tomorrow morning. Despite their colds (SO sorry for you both) it was wonderful to see them. I know they must be disappointed as they had to change plans and all, but I’m still so very glad we got together. (Get well, you two!) I will miss them greatly.

From there we went back to our B&B where I enjoyed some chamomile tea and Dan did shower laundry.

Tomorrow is our final full day in this area. We’ll see what we opt to do. Stay tuned!

Nighty-night!

11,079 steps, 4.33 miles, 7 flights climbed

Thursday, June 4

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We woke up (very slowly!) to the sound of wind. Dan had mentioned yesterday that he’d read it would be windy today — I think he said even windier than yesterday, and it was windy as we walked. Windy enough I had to take off my hat so it wouldn’t blow off.

We lazed around in the room since we had the later breakfast time. Eventually we headed down to the breakfast room and had a lovely breakfast. But first, Dan demonstrated how my iPhone could make me look absolutely stunning. I mean … really!!

Well, okay, maybe not stunning, but it makes me look a bit like a camel, I think.

Seriously, though, the reason he demonstrated this is because the other day I took a photo at our table of Jan, Greg, and Dan, and couldn’t post it because things were distorted. I think the three might frown upon me if I did put it up. So now I know what I did. (Which means everyone better be very nice to me or I’ll share a photo of THEM like the one above!) Oh … and yes, I have no pride at this point.

But back to breakfast …

As we ate it poured outside. Really poured. We would have to figure out what to do with our day if the weather remained that way. Meanwhile, though, I could start this blog and then have a “laundry shower”. Dan was journaling and then he, too, did a laundry shower. Clothes and bodies cleaned. Hooray!

This time I opted to wash a pair of my Woolx pants (Emerson pants which are quite fitting). Yesterday when I put them on I noticed that they were just plain dusty. I didn’t wear them on our walk, but we must have been in dusty areas at some point because if I pulled at the fabric and let it snap back there was a good amount of dust. Not good. (I guess I could have used a vacuum cleaner on them!) I’ll be curious to see how fast they dry. (For those who wonder how I do this on trips: I wash them in the shower using the liquid soap provided, ring them out — a bit of a no-no but whatever. Then I set out a large towel, stretch the pants out on it, wrap the sides over, and roll. I put them on the floor and “knee” them for a bit. Then out of the towel they go, and I lay them over my closed suitcase to dry. Please have number 2 pencils ready as there will be a pop quiz sometime later on our trip.)

I puzzled over what to bring when we finally were to go out. There’s always the question of rain jackets or umbrellas? If it’s too windy the rain jacket wins. Yesterday when we headed out we opted for the umbrellas and, indeed, it was too windy for those. For today I was waiting on Dan to see what option he’d choose and then I’d do the opposite.

No. I’m lying: I usually follow his advice. Emphasis on usually. While waiting for Dan I keep looking longingly at my wool shacket: I love that thing and it was so wonderful for Scotland and Ireland. The only problem is the rain. If I wear that and get wet I sort of smell like the sheep. That’s a baaaaad thing.

Enough. Comedy routine over ‘n out.

Believe it or not, we didn’t get out of our room until after noon. Some days, though, are best spent that relaxed, I think, when out on a slightly over six week trip.

Down the hill we went. Well, first we went down the B&B stairs outside, as you can see from the photo below.

The first destination I’d plugged in was Green Street. Don’t ask me why because I’ve forgotten! I put together a list from various sites I’d found, and Green Street was on that list. Unfortunately I didn’t think to say why I’d written things down. (Some, thankfully, were obvious.) While walking down the short street I saw a store with shoes I liked (men’s shoes, that is) and while looking the shopkeeper came out. He said if I liked those shoes I should go across the way and up some stairs and a woman there made shoes for women I might like. I knew I shouldn’t bother: no way could I afford them!

We continued our walk and, lo and behold, we saw Jan and Greg’s hotel. We weren’t planning on meeting up yet, so we walked by, but I did take a photo. Just because. Then we continued on to our next stop, the Jane Austen Centre. There were costumed people at the door and inside and, honestly, it just didn’t look like our cuppa. Perhaps I’ll regret not going in, but how will I know …?

More walking, and to another destination I’d plugged in: The Landrace Bakery. Well, bakery + us means we had to go in. Tasty little non-lunch!

For some reason Google Maps was losing my plan and I’d have to keep adding things back in so Dan took over. We were looking for the Georgian houses that were curved. We walked via HIS map and I shot photos along the way. There’s so much to see here!

Finally we hit what I thought we were looking for.

But Dan said that wasn’t it. He remembered it was not a full circle, as this place was (with breaks for streets), but just a crescent. So on we went.

And then we (he) found it! Funny thing is that now, as I write this, I’m looking back at my Google Maps entries and, sure enough, No. 1 Royal Crescent was on it. Until it disappeared.

From there we walked to the Royal Victoria Park. We sent a quick pic to Jan and Greg, saying Dan was still looking for a Beech tree as he stood beneath one, since we’d teased him about missing the huge one we passed on our Cotswold walk.

We walked through the botanical garden and I enjoyed the flora both there and on our walk toward Greg and Jan’s.

As we walked we saw a small entryway, behind one of the Georgian houses, for a Georgian garden so we entered that. There wasn’t a lot to see, but I loved seeing the Nigella damascena. Underneath was an identification for an aster and I wonder how many people will now see Nigella and call it an aster!

From there we went on a search for a dinner spot. We did walk a bit and came up with a few choices that we would pass by Jan and Greg. While walking I happened upon this store and thought of a particular son of mine!

We went to meet up with our dinner pals at their hotel, and then we walked to “The Oldest Pub In Bath.” Greg and I were duck buddies, Jan had a falafel burger, and Dan had fish and chips (which he said were the best he’s had on the trip).

We said our goodnights and Dan and I started our walk back. I had to take a photo at what I think was a studio for a show we watch that took place in Bath. Then over the river and up the hill we went, where I took just a few shots of homes.

Tomorrow we see more of Bath. Tonight we sleep.

‘night!

17,219 steps, 6.81 miles, 10 flights climbed

Tuesday, June 2 — Walk, Day Seven

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I woke several times last night and heard rain. Rain at night is allowed, although not appreciated greatly since we might end up walking through mud. Perhaps, though, we’ll avoid a lot of rain today which is not what the forecast had suggested earlier on.

Looking out one window I could see sheep in the distance, but that wasn’t any surprise since I could hear them.


Speaking of hearing, I forgot to mention a funny one from yesterday. As we were nearing the village we were going down a gentle slope. To my right was a bit of meadow and what looked like a forest. To my left was a wall of shrubs. I heard loud baa-ing. On my left. I looked and looked. No sheep! Jan must have figured out what was going on and I heard her (she was behind me) say, “They’re to your left.” DUH. I have to hearing in my left ear and hearing them in my right ear didn’t mean they had to be my right! But the most interesting bit is a bit later, as we were still on the path but there was a road to our left I heard motorcycles. Now where do you think I looked? To my left, of course! I even thought I heard them on my left. Because motorcycles couldn’t possibly be to my right. The brain knows!

Now back to today.

You might be shocked and amazed that we packed and lugged our bags down two flights of stairs. Great fun was had. Then it was time for breakfast.

We all enjoyed nice breakfasts, getting more food than we of course needed. But isn’t that what happens on vacations? Seems so. The photo below shows Dan. Most likely he’s meditating over a cup of coffee. You also see my slice of toast and I’ll just pretend that’s all I ate.

Then it was a quick trip back up to our rooms, with a quick shot up a lovely staircase (that we didn’t take), and we met up again to start our walk.

The walk began easily, as we said goodbye to Chipping Campden and got on to our route..

We soon left the road and marched on. Or ambled. You choose. Some of the sheep yesterday and today look rather naked, as they’d been shorn.

Above Chipping Campden is Broad Campden. The Quaker meeting house you can see in one photo has been used in the Father Brown series.

We were told to turn left at the Bakers Arms pub. At that point Jan and I were walking together. We saw one path but it was before the pub so we walked past to the next left and went there. Well, my phone was NOT at all happy with me and let me know. Oops. We were supposed to take the other left. So back we went.

We saw we were again on The Monarch’s Way. When I first saw a sign for The Monarch’s Way I thought they were talking about butterflies. Yes. Really. But never mind.

We continued our walk through lovely areas, through sheep areas (we have to do some “poop dodging” in those) and more. The clouds did look ominous at times. (But I think the gifts the sheep leave are more ominous!)

I sort of got off track one other time: we are the red line. We are supposed to follow the blue. I really just think we are more creative is all. (I suspect you have to click on this image to really understand what I’m writing about!)

More walking, more beautiful views, more fun with Jan! Oh, and more grain.’

Then we reached the village of Blockley.

Don’t know the place? Well, you might know it as Kembleford. As in Father Brown. We arrived there, not remembering the Father Brown bit. We went to a little store to buy some lunch and as we exited the store the rain came down. Right next door was a cafe and Jan and I went in to order cappuccinos and I asked if we could eat our sandwiches there. The young woman said normally no, but their oven wasn’t working (or something like that) and if we were discreet they’d allow it. So we very discreetly ate the sandwich (we shared because we are learning that we often could just share things rather than eat too much) and drank our coffee. Later Dan arrived and had an espresso and cake, so I wasn’t feeling quite so bad about our eating our sandwich. When we left the cafe we had a look at the church used in Father Brown. Because Jan and I put on our rain jackets the rain stopped.

Then on we went, past Blockley, through meadows, past cows, down paths and trees, through some rather narrow spots, and we did have another climb. (We had one earlier in the day but nothing like yesterday.) It’s nearly impossible to really show you how high we’d climbed, but if you can see a village below us in some of these photos, that’s Blockley again and we are high above it!

Now I must say there were many moments we had to concentrate very hard on where we stepped, in order to dodge things that must be dodged. We also had to be cautious about sting weed and the thorns on various plants. But we soldiered on bravely. (At one point, though, I did have Jan grab the poles from my pack and we each took one … it was so helpful to have both to help us climb and to assist in pushing back prickly plants.)

I can’t remember exactly when the rain began, but it rained. And it was somewhat significant. We stood under some trees for a time. Earlier we had heard thunder and wondered if we’d get dumped on. After a while someone who is impatient (me) decided to go on while Mr. Patience (Dan) waited a bit more. Jan was with me and, really, I think we were right to go on. But Dan later mentioned perhaps with the possibility of lightning we might have been smart to wait. But hey, I’m here, right?

The sheep here are much bolder than the shy Scotland sheep we saw. We even seemed to have welcoming committees sometimes.

The walk continues. The dodging continued as well.

And THEN … the worst of all. Mud. Mucky mud. By the time we got through the field of mud my shoes were caked and so much heavier. I’m hoping that means I get extra points: it’s like weight lifting, really. Jan took a photo of my lovely shoes. (I attempted to pull my pants legs up a bit so we could really see the damage. Honestly, though, it was worse than these photos show, I think!)

From there we were very close to our final (can you hear me sighing and even crying a bit?) destination of the walk.

Hello again, Moreton-in-Marsh!

We are back in the hotel we stayed in when we arrived here, but no deluxe room this time.

Shortly after getting in our room we met up with Greg and Jan for a celebratory drink. I took photos as we went down the stairs. The many, many stairs. But that really doesn’t do them justice! (I think I counted 28 steps up, and then, for Dan and me, 4 down to get to our room.)


But your SHOES, you ask? Did you really walk into the hotel and then go to the bar with those SHOES? No. I didn’t. I’ve been taught by the master here (hi Dan) that a puddle, especially a puddle with rocks below, is a great way to clean off filthy shoes. I had also used my poles to knock off a lot of the mud. By the time we got to the hotel the shoes were nearly presentable. After drinks, when I got to our room I used some wipes to clean them off nearly completely. I was happy to have them clean, and even happier to have shower time to get me clean!

We had dinner at the hotel and the meal was lovely. Greg and Jan had some risotto, Dan had chicken, and I had trout. All tasty!

We had a little after dinner drink and called it a night.

While we went back upstairs I took a video: this hotel has a lot of twists and turns. I’m guessing I could easily get lost. I’m not sure the video will really show that, though.

Tomorrow we move on. Time is passing by far too quickly and I just want it all to slow down, but I guess I’m not in control of time. I should be, but I’m not. Ah well.

Goodnight and stay tuned for the next adventure!

21,457 steps, 8.32 miles, 17 flights climbed

Sunday, May 31 — Walk, Day Five

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We moved our breakfast time up to 8:00 because today is our longest walk. We will be walking 14.4k so around 9 miles.

First, of course, packing, which at this point is fairly easy: everything has its spot and I mostly remember where those spots are.

Breakfast was quite nice. I took no photos of that, but I did take a photo of the stairs we had to deal with with our luggage, and a photo of said luggage waiting for pick up.

Then it was time to walk and off we went, first through Winchcombe and then on to Puck Pit Lane.

Jan graciously and gracefully demonstrated a new kind of gate we had to use at times.

We had, of course, gorgeous landscapes.

I shot this plant to try and identify it. According to my phone it’s broad bean. I know, not exactly a thrilling close up photo of the plant, but the fields were impressive.

Then it was back to a grain that the iPhone said was “bread wheat”.

We arrived in Hailes and Greg and Jan kindly posed for me. There was also the ruins of the Hailes Abbey. And there are to be no detectorists in the field by the abbey. You’ve been warned

We checked out the Hailes church, which included frescoes which I found interesting as I hadn’t realized any churches here had those.

Then it was back to fields and meadows, and of course gates. Ah, the gates … or stiles … or kissing gates. So many have different ways of opening and closing. It’s like an intelligence test, and I think I mostly score a B or C, but the one with a chain was easy to figure out. I give myself an A (because I do not believe in A+ as I frequently mention to Dan).

We passed by Wood Stanway Farmhouse and then entered Stanway. I had thought that might be a place to stop for a rest or whatever but there wasn’t anywhere near our path that looked like a possibility.

So on we marched. We passed sheep, and continued on through a bit of a lush “tunnel” (it felt like it, anyway), until we reached a road we had to cross.

Then it was more on the path, which wasn’t always smooth. I had to remember to lift her feet so I wouldn’t take another spill!

Oh … and I made a video during the above portion of the walk.

We passed by the Stanway House. I don’t know if people ever get to visit, but it and the church by it were locked tight.

From there we entered the Cotswold Way trail. (There are a number of trails in the Cotswolds.)

There was a huge beautiful tree that I had to shoot to see if it could be identified. The iPhone said “European Beech” and when Greg reached us he said it was a beech, but had a different name (in German) for it.

We went through more meadows.

Finally we were in Stanton. We were weary and ready for a rest and maybe some lunch. I had noted in my research that there was The Mount Inn where we could get a bite. Well gee, it was a big climb to get there. Ah … I get it: “Mount Inn” as in mountain. Cute. Or not. None of us were all that keen on the hike up. We ordered our food and drinks and were surprised by the amount of food we had. I forgot to take any photos of the food (I blame the climb), and only have one shot of part of the room we were in.

Then we had the last leg of our walk. I thought it was two miles. I was wrong: it was a bit longer. First we walked back down the hill in Stanton.

While Jan and Greg went ahead I told Jan I would go back to find Dan as he wasn’t with us. Since I found him near the Church of St. Michael & All Angels we went inside.

Then it was (surprise!) more meadows. And sheep. Some were the spotted sheep we had been told we might find. (Confession: I thought they’d be spotted on their wool. Heh. No … spotted faces.)

There was one very large climb. I had feared it might be there, but Dan had suggested it wouldn’t be a big one. Gee, I was right! So up up up we climbed. But climbs don’t look like climbs in photos so never mind that. Just know we made it up to the top.

And then there were the cows with one beige stripe. We saw those in Scotland too. I’d never seen them prior to this trip.

More walking. More meadows. More lovely views. And a new kind of gate … but not really a gate.

Finally we arrived! Our longest day was done. And hello Broadway! Now they say the neon lights are bright but I didn’t see even one neon light here. Be forewarned. We checked into our hotel and our room is lovely.

We met Jan and Greg again for dinner, which we had right at the hotel. You get no photos of dinner. But it was good and I’m tired and there you go. But here, have some photos of only a few of the stairs we had to take to get to our rooms.

Now it may be only 8:50 here, but I’m pretty darn tired and hoping I will sleep after that long walk. Goodnight!

26,207 steps, 10.26 miles, 7 flights climbed

Saturday, May 30 — Walk, Day Four

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7:00 wake up, slow rising, easy packing, and off to breakfast, hauling our luggage down to the pickup point as we went. I took a few photos of the hotel. Ah stairs! We sure have done a lot of luggage hauls up and down stairs.

Breakfast was similar to yesterday: basic, no frills, but it was fine.

While we were eating our driver showed up. Hm. It was 9:00 and I had read she’d be there at 9:30. There have been a few issues with this trip and I’m not complaining, but I will let them know there were some problems. We raced to our rooms to get our daypacks and hit the bathroom and then we were off. Our driver was not as speedy as yesterday’s, but also not quite as comfortable, it seemed, driving the roads here. But we got back to Guiting Power to begin our trek. (Our “taxi” is in the photo on the left and the other is just a final Guiting Power shot.)

This walk had no big stops on the way until shortly before our final village, so it was a lot of scenic moments without villages.

I shot the final photo above because I have no clue what it is. If anyone knows, do tell! Shortly after that we passed a big rocky field with new plants that looked to be corn. It seems that a variety of grains grow in this area.

Since Dan picked that bit of a grain (last photo above) he then modeled it for me.

Sometime toward the end of the walk we had a downhill where the ground was a bit uneven. Yesterday Jan had mentioned she could have used my poles (which I hadn’t thought to bring then) on one section so this time I asked her if she’d like them. Nope. She was fine. Welllll … she might have been fine, but yours truly manage to catch the front of her left food on something and fell. Nothing damaged aside from pride, and no clothing ruined, but pants got a bit of a stain. But hey, I didn’t do my typical face plant!

By this time we were nearing the Sudeley castle. I had looked into the cost for going in and it was quite expensive. Being as we see enough castles in any case, we skipped it. We did, however, stop at the cafe there for drinks and snacks before we did the final leg of today’s walk. My navigation app had been making noises because we had veered from the trail until I turned the sound off. When we started up again it redirected the route so we could get back on the trail. We didn’t have long to go.

Then it was hello Winchcombe!

We arrived at the White Hart Inn and collected our keys. And then we had the absolute thrill of carrying luggage up stairs! What fun after a day of walking. Our room is more spacious that the last two, and the bed is larger. I had been expected something not-so-great because I thought this one had lower ratings, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’m pretty sure I must have been confusing places and last night’s must have been the lower rating.

The scaffolding outside our window isn’t fabulous, but we will barely be here so it’s not a huge deal.

After we showered and rested up a bit Dan and I went out to investigate a bit.

We wound up at St. Peter’s, where we saw a string quartet practicing. I immediately heard what sounded like a Caroline Shaw piece and, sure enough, it was! Sadly the concert was at 7:00 tonight and that was when we had dinner reservations so we had to miss it. We were able to have a look inside the church, though.

Then only a bit more walking including a plaque on the side of our hotel wall.

We met up with Greg and Jan for dinner at 5 North. What a meal we had! I’m going to bet it’s the best meal of the trip. If you ever get to Winchcombe plan on eating there. Just be sure to save up for it! I promise it’s worth it. (You are seeing both Dan’s and my desserts … I promise I didn’t eat both!)

Then back to our hotel where I finished up this blog entry and we hit the hay. Tomorrow is our longest day (10 miles) and we have to be ready. If one or two of us decide it’s just too much that’s fine too: I saw an Uber/Lyft car here today so I know that could be an option. (I didn’t think Lyft was anywhere but the US, but that’s what was on the car.)

Ciao for now!

19,961 steps, 7.64 miles, 6 flights climbed

Thursday, May 28 — Walk, Day Two

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**I hope you know that if you click on images you should see them better!

We woke and had in-room coffee before packing our bags to get downstairs for the 8:30 required time. (Not that they ever pick them up right then, but they say 8:30 so I will not be late!) One annoying thing yours truly did was, as I was attempting to pull my adapter out of the wall socket thinking to myself, “You are forcing it and it’s going to break!” I broke it. Stupid me, but there you go.

Oh … and yesterday we saw a sign outside that announced a Motor Show. Or so I thought. This morning when I looked outside I realized it read “Moron Show”. Well, because I’m such a genius, when Dan laughed and said someone had changed it I said, “Oh. I just thought maybe there was a car called Moron.” Okay. Really, I did say that. And yes, Dan could hardly stop laughing. Since my goal in life is to make people laugh I guess I can say I’ve had a successful day.

We went downstairs, met up with Jan and Greg, and headed to the breakfast area. It was another lovely meal. I had eggs Florentine, and the others had equally delightful plates of food.

From there we went back upstairs so Dan and I could vote.

Yep. Vote.

Because we would be out of the country when ballots would be mailed we requested the overseas ballots and they had been sent to Greg and Jan’s. Greg delivered the morning after we first met up, but this morning was the first time we were really ready to fill things out. Then I walked them over to the post office, where it was £7 and change to get them sent. Now we just hope they arrive in time! (Only after we signed up to have these ballots mailed did we then get an email saying we could have actually printed ballots early at home and sent them. I sure wish we’d known about that earlier!)

We dropped by a store so Greg could get a hat (a nice Tilley), and soon it was back to our rooms to get our daypacks and start our walk.

The beginning of the walk took place on the road, and passed by a cemetery.

Soon we crossed the busy street and were on the path, which is much nicer to walk. It had sprinkled last night, but thankfully it wasn’t at all muddy. Unfortunately it was a bit muggy (and became muggier as the day progressed). The walk was quite scenic. It was also all downhill to begin with which was hard on someone who had a damaged toe. (Sorry, Greg! That is no fun, I know, having dealt with that myself. But you are so quiet about it. I would have complained and attempted to get a lot of sympathy!)

We reached a spot where there was, much to our surprise, a food truck. The woman had an espresso machine, as well as some goodies. We all ordered some form of coffee. How fun to run across this. In addition Dan, who had arrived there first, was conversing with a group of women. As it turned out (and I’m guessing that’s why I heard a big laugh from all of them as I walked toward them) they are from Los Gatos and Saratoga areas. One of them went to Monte Vista High School and certainly knew Lynbrook High — but they were probably ten years younger than I am. Once again, a small world.

We walked on through, mostly, meadows. I had read that there was a sign warning walkers about the possibility of a bull in a field, but we never did see one. I was ready, though, to use Dan and/or Greg as a shield so Jan and I could escape. That would have made one or both of them heroes, right?!

Then we entered the small village of Lower Slaughter.

At that point we were ready to have a seat for a while, so we stopped in at The Slaughter Country Inn for a light bite. As we sat clouds were rolling in and for a time we thought we might be in for a spot of rain, but it never did hit us.

From there we had the final leg of our short and gentle walk.

Now it’s Hello Bourton-on-the-Water! And hello major crowds. I had read it was the most crowded village, but I had no idea what the meant. It’s crazy and a bit of a shock. Our dinner reservation is just at a pub — nothing fancy as far as I can see — but I’m glad I made a reservation!

Our stay is at the Broadlands Hotel.

We have a slightly larger room than yesterday, but it’s pretty minimal. There is no place to hang towels, for instance, and luggage will have to opened on the floor or bed. But we shall survive, I’m sure. We stay here two nights and have transfers: the first is back to the hotel from tomorrow’s destination and the following day the transfer is at 9:30 in the morning, taking us to our starting point. Dan and I have learned to like these two day stays — it means we don’t have to wake up to pack tomorrow morning.

We both showered and did a bit of laundry. I’m happy I have my merino shirt: I washed it and about an hour later it was close to dry. That fabric really is rather amazing.

When we were all ready, we went out to walk a bit and went to the Co-op to look for a small bottle of laundry detergent (it wasn’t to be found). Then we headed back to make our 6:00 dinner reservation at Kingsbridge Inn.

We walked in to Kingsbridge pub and I told the man behind the bar that I had reservations. He said just to pick any table for four. Didn’t even ask my name. Hm. No reservations were needed at all. That was a surprise. We went outside to the patio there. All the tables were either occupied or very dirty. We weren’t impressed, but finally cleared a table ourselves and sat down. While at the bar we were told to order our dinners via our phones or else go up to the bar. We chose the former and placed our orders once we found things that were available: it seemed the majority of items were out of stock. Drinks were the same. But we managed to get our orders done and paid for (and then they give us the option of tipping them? For all the work we did. So strange. But yes, we tipped 5%.). A bit later Greg and Jan got their drinks (they ordered separately) and we sat and waited. Then a young man came up to tell me they were out of something I’d ordered but they could replace it with something else or refund me. Fine. Replace it. Eventually he returned again and said they were out of my drink so I had to choose something else. And after all that another man came and said the kitchen was too hot and they had to close it down. He said it was 60° centigrade. He said “no food”. I said we’d already ordered and paid and he said we should go to the bar to get a refund. Um. Okay. Greg went up and then the younger man came and said that yes, our food WAS coming. I quickly went to Greg since I thought he’d be asking for the refund (realizing too late I should have just let him do it and we could have left). But then our meals and drinks all came. With no silverware or napkins. I could go on and on about how crazy and poor the service was, but I’ll stop now and just say I’m sorry I chose that place.

After that debacle we really wanted to sit and relax elsewhere. We looked a bit nearby. We didn’t see anything there, but I did see the tallest lupine I’ve ever seen!

Then we found a lovely spot for some wine. The restaurant looked so nice. Earlier we had seen the place I’d reserved for tomorrow and thought it looked a bit questionable so I canceled that and made a reservation for this new place. I’m thinking tomorrow will be much nicer! We had a lovely time sitting under a fragrant tree with pretty pink blossoms (I think it’s a locust tree?).

Back to our hotel we went, and said our good nights. Tomorrow we have breakfast set for 8:30, so we’ll connect again then.

Oh … and it has been sprinkling a bit. I’m thankful it waited until we got back to our rooms.

Goodnight!

17,389 steps, 6.96 miles, 2 flights climbed (this last bit is surely inaccurate, as we climbed hotel stairs at least 4 times)